Guardians
by LE McMurray
Summary: Janet wakes up.


Author's Notes:- Thanks to Stonedtoad for betaing.

I knew a lot of people would be doing tags for Heroes so I thought I'd do it slightly differently.

* * *

"Janet," a gentle voice called to her, "Janet, you can wake up now."

Janet fought against consciousness; her last memory was of searing pain but whoever was with her kept calling making her wake up. Another memory invaded her and Janet gasped.

"Lieutenant Wells?" she cried.

"He is alive and safe," the voice told her; Janet finally managed to make it out as female with a slight accent.

"Janet, open your eyes," the woman told her.

Whoever this was, nurse or doctor, Janet was going to fire them as soon as possible. With great difficulty she forced her eyes open and stared at the woman sitting beside her.

"Hello Janet," Sha're smiled.

x

Janet stared at the young woman sitting at her side in her desert garb looking as she always had in the picture sitting on Daniel's desk. Sha're just waited until Janet was ready to speak.

"I have two ideas," Janet finally managed, "One, this is an alternate universe," Sha're shook her head making Janet sigh, "Then two, I'm dead."

"I am afraid so," the Abydonian woman told her, "But you do not have to worry, everyone else was able to return to Earth."

"Where am I?" Janet sat up looking around the strange room.

"It has no exact name," Sha're replied with a shrug, "We call it the waiting room."

"We?"

"Come," Sha're stood revealing a door, "This will be quite strange for you, it was for me but this is not something that is bad in any way."

Confused but extremely intrigued Janet joined the young woman and headed out through the door.

x

The place they entered was dark but Janet could hear a soft crying. As her eyes became accustomed to the dark she recognised Daniel's tall form lying on the bed his arm resting across his eyes as tears slid along his cheeks, sitting at his side was a woman Janet had never seen before yet looked quite familiar.

"Sleep Danny," the woman whispered.

His arm slid from his face to his side, the woman gently squeezed Daniel's hand and kissed his forehead before standing and walking over to join them.

"He'll be fine Sha're," the woman took Sha're's hand before turning, "It's nice to meet you Janet."

"I'm sorry, who are you?" Janet asked.

Sha're laughed, "Janet Fraiser this is Claire Jackson."

"Daniel's mother?"

"The one and only," Claire laughed, "It's nice to meet you."

"You too," Janet replied slightly amazed, "Does this mean his father…"

"Mel is with Jack just now," Claire told her, "Sha're will show you around the rest of this place. I'm going to sit with Daniel for a while."

Sha're nodded and quickly brushing her lips to her husbands' before leading Janet out once more.

x

Teal'c sat on the floor amongst the candles a man very similar to the former First Prime sat across from him in a similar way.

"Ro'nak," Sha're whispered.

The man opened his eyes and stood taking Sha're's hand, "My dear Sha're," he smiled affectionately at her his deep voice very familiar.

"You're Teal'c's father," Janet deduced.

"Ro'nak this is Janet Fraiser," Sha're introduced them.

"An honour," Ro'nak told her with a slight bow.

"You too," Janet frowned, "Hold on, why are you all here?"

"We watch over them," Ro'nak explained as they moved away from Teal'c, "We are all no longer in their realm but we can be at their sides and soothe the pain slightly."

"Is that why I'm here?" Janet asked.

Sha're nodded, "If you wish. Let me show you everything before you make your decision."

Janet tilted her head as a thought struck her, "Is Drey'ac here?"

"No," Sha're replied, "She did not wish to watch her son grow up without her."

"Daniel's parents stayed with him," Janet reminded her.

"Rya'c has both his father and Bra'tac," Sha're replied, "Dan'iel had no one. Mel and Claire could not leave him, they still cannot and neither can I."

x

"Claire said her husband was with Jack," Janet said as they continued to walk through this strange world, "What happened to Jack?"

"He was hit by a staff blast," Sha're told her, "But he is fine. Mel was just keeping Jack's Guardian company."

"Jack's Guardian?"

"All members of SG1 have a specific Guardian," Sha're explained before giving a soft laugh "Although Dan'iel has three of us, when one of the others needs to go to another member of their family one of us will take over for that time."

"Sha're," a child's happy voice cried as they entered the newest room, "He's okay."

Sha're smiled kneeling down and catching the boy in a hug before standing and resting her hands on the child's shoulders, "Janet, this is Charlie O'Neill."

Janet looked at the boy who had a huge grin on his face and she could clearly see the man she'd spent years treating in that grin.

"It's nice to meet you Charlie," Janet told him.

Charlie moved over and hugged her, "You've saved my Dad lots. Thank you."

Janet felt tears fill her eyes, "I want to go back."

"We all did," Sha're gently told the doctor, "But none of us could, none of us were able to save our loved ones from the pain of separation but here we can watch over them."

"And watch them live their lives without us?" Janet demanded angrily.

"And watch our children grow," the rooms other occupant added walking over to them, "When we left Danny I would have given anything to be there with him as he went through such pain and loneliness but I couldn't. So I watched and I saw my son change from an introverted child to a strong man. A man who married a woman who he loved completely and although he has lost her also he lives for her memory and the friends he has made."

"You would be Mel," Janet said, "You remind me of Daniel."

"That's the greatest compliment anyone could give me," Mel smiled, "I know how hard this is for you but it was worse for Claire and I. Your daughter still has people around her and she will survive this stronger than before. You can join us and I won't pretend it is easy just to stand by but I wouldn't give up the ability to be with my son even if it is in this strange way."

"There is one more room," Sha're told Janet softly, "Before you decide."

Janet nodded and followed the Abydonian woman out once more.

x

"How do you do this?" Janet asked Sha're, "Since you died Daniel's been through some horrible things, so how? How can you watch?"

"Do you remember when those other personalities were downloaded into Dan'iel?" Sha're asked.

"Yes," Janet nodded, "He bounced back from that amazingly."

"The reason his mind was separate was because of us," Sha're explained, "We brought him here and kept him safe then that night once he was released from the infirmary I stayed with him the entire night and managed to help him get beyond what had happened."

"We didn't understand how…"

"It may not seem much," Sha're's eyes were filled with passion, "But I have been by his side for so much and I do not regret my decision to stay."

"I guess I can understand," Janet sighed.

"I know this is overwhelming," Sha're sympathised taking Janet's hand, "Come. This is the last place we need to visit before you have to decide."

x

"Why?"

Janet heard the whisper come from the young woman curled up in the corner wrapped in a sweatshirt. Janet recognised it as the one she used to wear whenever she was cold, it was about three sizes too big for her but she loved it. Now wrapped in it looking for warmth in the cold was her daughter.

"Cassie," Janet whispered moving closer to the young woman.

"You promised you wouldn't leave," Cassie murmured, "Why did you have to?"

Janet sat beside Cassie gently stroking her hair, "You should be sleeping."

"She's not been able to sleep since Sam told her," another voice joined them; "I'm Leah Carter, Sam's mother."

"Is Sam here?" Janet asked.

"Sleeping over there," Leah pointed.

Janet looked over her best friend seeing the tear tracks on her face before returning her focus to the girl beside her, "I'm sorry Cassie. Just go to sleep and Sam will be here for you in the morning. You're not alone darling, I haven't left you."

As Janet tended her Cassie slipped into a soothing sleep for the first time since she'd been told of Janet's death.

x

"Have you decided?" Sha're asked taking Janet back to the waiting room.

Janet nodded seeing two doors where there had only been one before, "I take it one door leads away from here."

"Beyond that one is I believe you use the term heaven," Sha're explained, "And the other is where we stay together."

"I still don't understand why you're all here," Janet told her.

Sha're smiled, "All those who have died are given the chance to watch over those they loved. It can be for a short time only as Cassandra's mother did originally or longer like Mel and Claire. Those who make up SG1 have such a strong bond that we bonded as well. You do not have to stay Janet; I understand how hard it is."

"If I said no?" Janet asked, "You would all still watch over Cassie?"

"Of course," Sha're replied, "She is part of them therefore part of us."

Janet nodded before looking up at the young Abydonian, "I'm staying."


End file.
